Illinois senator Kirk the first to break with GOP, will meet with high court nominee Garland next week

Federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland, right, stands with President Barack Obama as he is introduced as Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court during an announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON (UPI) — Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk will be the first Republican to break party ranks and meet with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, the lawmaker’s office said Friday.

So far, Senate Republicans have said they refuse to meet with the Washington, D.C., appellate judge concerning the high court post — as part of the GOP’s fight against President Barack Obama appointing the third Supreme Court justice of his administration.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has repeatedly stated that the upper chamber won’t provide any hearings for Garland because they believe it inappropriate for Obama to nominate a successor for the late Antonin Scalia when he has just 10 months remaining in office.

A handful of GOP lawmakers, though, have indicated in recent weeks that they might deviate from the Republicans’ path and give Garland a fair shake at the high court post — including Sens. Kirk, Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Susan Collins, R-Me., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

“I feel I would want to explain my position to the nominee,” Ayotte said last week. “He does serve on the Circuit Court of Appeals, so I want to give him that courtesy.”

Kirk has scheduled a meeting with Garland for Tuesday, his office and the White House each confirmed Friday, and previously told a Chicago radio station that his GOP colleagues should “man up and cast a vote.”

Kirk’s scheduling the meeting probably isn’t surprising. Last month, he stated publicly that Obama has a right to nominate a justice to fill Scalia’s seat on the bench because that’s what the Constitution allows for.

“Now more than ever, we must all focus on that shared common goal as we deal with the super-heated partisan rhetoric following the tragic loss of a great American, Antonin Scalia,” he wrote in an op-ed in the Chicago Sun-Times. “I recognize the right of the president, be it Republican or Democrat, to place before the Senate a nominee for the Supreme Court and I fully expect and look forward to President Barack Obama advancing a nominee for the Senate to consider.”

Garland, who was nominated last week, is already set to meet with several Democratic senators Monday. He has already met with five.

“Chief Judge Garland deserves a hearing, just as a simple matter of fairness,” he told a group of law students at Georgetown University. “The bonds that held our diverse republic together for the past 229 years are being frayed, and you all know it — whether you’re Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative. Everybody knows it. The world knows it.”

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8 Comments

Mark Kirk again shows his true liberal leanings in his decision to break from the Republican party and side with the Democrats concerning the replacement of Justice Antonin Scalia.

“Kirk is one of the most liberal Republicans in the Senate. He is a full-blown social liberal who supports taxpayer-funding for abortions and the entire gay marriage agenda, including judicial activism and provisions that undermine religious liberty. He has also been a consistent supporter of gun control and amnesty for illegal immigrants.”

“Overall, aside from foreign policy initiatives, there is little to distinguish Kirk from his fellow Democrats in the Illinois delegation.” (reprinted from conservativereview.com)

What a shame it is that the Illinois Republican Delegation can’t put forth a real conservative to stand with our party.

In this case it’s obvious that Mark Kirk is more concerned about being reelected than he is in standing in support of the Constitution.

I live in Crook, er Cook County, IL and all the conservatives in this state know about Kirk. He is facing a tough challenge in the general election from Tammy Duckworthless…who is even further to the left than he is.

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sotheseedsofliberty2March 31, 2016 at 8:50 pm

___________________________
Who is Mark Kirk
Strange Bedfellows Week In Washington Part @1
April 11, 2013
By MICHAEL FALCONE
“elected to Congress at the same time and were roommates on Capitol Hill, ….” **** Durbin, D-Ill., and Republican Sen.Mark Kirk
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Foster: Lone Republican Mark Kirk votes to preserve sanctuary cities
Kirk said when asked if he would campaign for Oberweis:

“I’m gonna be protecting my relationship with ****….( **** Durbin)…. and not launching into a partisan jihad that hurts our partnership to both pull together for Illinois,” Kirk said.” Part #1

Part #2 to follow in Comments

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ltuserMarch 26, 2016 at 11:16 pm

So kirk is setting himself up to be the first victim of the republican voters out there who won’t keep his sorry butt in office for failing to follow OUR will in not meeting with Garland.

BUT seeing how liberal most of Illinois appears to be, i doubt he has anything to worry about. He can just switch parties and run as a liberal dunce and get in..

“Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk will be the first Republican to break party ranks and meet with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, the lawmaker’s office said Friday”
I would like to know when betraying friends and associates in a political party that you,of your own volition joined,has become a badge of honor and something to brag about.
Mark Kirk obviously knows the stand that the republican party has taken on Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court and knows the reasons why the republican party has taken the position that the republican party has taken. Is Mark Kirk going against the republican party stand of not giving a hearing to Obama’s nominee out of a sense of personal principle,Principle, but how could it be a matter of principle with Mark Kirk when he has displayed so little principle by hiding who he really was under the subterfuge of being a republican. There are names for those who seek comfort and friendship with others and then when the opportunity avails itself, turns on them, Those who claim to be republicans but act and vote like democrats are called “RINOs,” but unprincipled, traitor, opportunist,would seem to describe Mark kirk better and who he really is. is.